Pink Shirt Day ‘is all about inclUSion’

Many of the PECI Panthers participating in today’s Pink Shirt awareness day

The wearing of pink T-shirts Wednesday April 8 marks the 7th Annual Pink Shirt Day at schools in the County and nation-wide.

Students, employees and families from 30 Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board schools purchased more than 3,300 HPEDSB-designed pink T-shirts featuring the ‘It’s all about inclUSion’ slogan.

On ‘Pink Shirt Day’, people wear pink to demonstrate a shared belief in the power of celebrating diversity and acceptance.

Those wearing pink also acknowledge and offer support for  ongoing efforts to increase awareness of bullying prevention initiatives, the work of school teams, and role-models provided by all student leaders at schools.

Pink Shirt Day started In Nova Scotia where Travis Price, now in his 20s, saw a fellow Grade 9 student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. That afternoon, Price, who had also suffered bullying, and a friend, brought 75 pink tank tops for all his friends to wear in a show of support. The movement has made its way across the nation ever since.

People wearing pink are encouraged to take pictures of themselves and post them to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. The message will be that, no matter how different the shirts might look individually, everybody is included in the community of pink shirt-wearers.